Effect of addition of dried potato pulp on selected quality characteristics of shortcrust pastry cookies.

Potato pulp is a nuisance waste from the production of potato starch, containing large amounts of dietary fiber; therefore, addition of the pulp to food may have a positive effect on the nutritional value of food products. To increase the amount of dietary fiber, shortcrust pastry cookies were baked by replacing some of the flour (20-100%) with an equivalent amount of dried potato pulp. In all the tested variants, correct confectionery products were obtained. The color of finished product (measured using Konica-Minolta CM-5 spectrophotometer) and mechanical properties of raw dough and baked cookies (subjected to a tensile test, using INSTRON 5544 Tensile Tester) were determined. Furthermore, the samples were subjected to sensory consumer assessment (evaluated on a 7-point hedonic scale). Colorimetric tests of the cookies showed a slight shift in their color from yellow toward green but at the same time lowering its saturation. Strength tests show that only the replacement of more than 40% of flour by the dried pulp resulted in a significant increase in the hardness of baked products. Regarding the tests with consumers, cookies containing up to 40% potato pulp were acceptable. Such a large addition of potato pulp to shortcrust pastry cookies creates new opportunities for this waste management.